BST Infantry Skills – Stand a Sentry Post

STANDARD: To protect property, enforce regulations, and preserve order

TIME TO TRAIN: 20 minutes

TIME TO EVALUATE: 5 minutes per Marine

PERFORMANCE STEPS:

State the eleven General Orders

Describe how to report a post

Understand the organization of the Interior Guard

Describe how to challenge personnel

Describe how to execute a post and relief

REFERENCES:

MCO 5500.6H – Arming of Law Enforcement and Security Personnel and the Use of Force

MCO 5530.15 – U.S. Marine Corps Interior Guard Manual

SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS: NA

PERFORMANCE STEP 1: Identify the eleven General Orders.

General Order #1: To take charge of this post and all government property in view.

General Order #2: To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.

General Order #3: To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.

General Order #4: To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse than my own.

General Order #5: To quit my post only when properly relieved.

General Order #6: To receive, obey, and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the commanding officer, officer of the day, and officers and noncommissioned of the guard only.

General Order #7: To talk to no one except in the line of duty.

General Order #8: To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.

General Order #9: To call the corporal of the guard in any case not covered by instructions

General Order #10: To salute all officers, and all colors and standards not cased.

General Order #11: To be especially watchful at night and during the time for challenging to challenge all persons on or near my post and allow no one to pass without proper authority.

PERFORMANCE STEP 2: Identify the organization of the Interior Guard.

Composition of the interior guard: The interior guard may be composed of one or more main guards as the commanding officer directs. In addition, the interior guard includes any special guards established by the commanding officer or commanders of subordinate units. One officer of the day will be assigned to supervise each main guard established.

Seven billets of the interior guard:

Commanding Officer (CO): The Commanding Officer establishes the Interior Guard and is ultimately responsible for the security of the Command.

Field Officer of the Day: The field officer of the day supervises the entire guard if applicable.

Officer of the Day: An Officer of the day is appointed by the Commander each day. The officer of the day is a direct representative of the CO, and is responsible for supervising the main guard. The officer of the day is normally a company grade, commissioned officer however; enlisted Marines may serve in this duty when appointed.

Commander of the Guard: The Commander of the Guard is responsible for the proper instruction, discipline and performance of duty of the main Guard. The Commander of the Guard is normally a staff noncommissioned officer.

Sergeant of the Guard: The Sergeant of the Guard assists the Commander of the Guard by helping to ensure the proper instruction, discipline and performance of duty of the main guard. The Sergeant of the Guard performs the duties of the Commander of the Guard if no Commander of the guard is appointed.

Corporal of the Guard: The Corporal of the Guard supervises the sentries assigned to post and is assigned to a particular relief.

Sentries: Sentries are the Marines who actually perform the functions of the interior guard. They keep watch, maintain order and protect persons and property. They are normally enlisted Marines grade E-1 through E-3. Sentries are responsible to memorizing, understanding and complying with all orders pertaining to their post.

PERFORMANCE STEP 3: Report the post.

In accordance with the third general order, sentries must report all violations of orders they have been instructed to enforce. The sentry must first challenge and recognize all personnel approaching the post. Once an individual has been challenged and recognized, the sentry will follow these procedures to properly report the post:

A sentry armed with a rifle (except at sling arms) will execute “PRESENT ARMS” and state “Sir or Ma’am (give rank and name) report post number (give appropriate post number or designation) all secure (or report anything that is out of the ordinary).”

***NOTE*** Tactical considerations (i.e. combat) may dictate that it is both impractical and dangerous to give reports in the above stated manner. (Example: Saluting an individual may identify him or her to an observing enemy as a target of opportunity.) In these situations, the commander may at his or her discretion issue special orders that modify the manner in which reports are given and received.

PERFORMANCE STEP 4: Challenge personnel.

In accordance with the eleventh general order, a Marine sentry must challenge all personnel on or near his or her post. Challenging is the act of causing an unidentified person or party to halt so that both their identity and their authorization to be in the area can be verified. Sentries will execute the following procedures when challenging personnel:

While the individual is approximately 30 paces away, or still far enough away for the sentry to take effective protective measures should the person act in a threatening manner call “HALT, who goes there?” The sentry may at that point, at his or her discretion, advance toward the person in order to assume a more advantageous position.

Upon receiving an answer the sentry may command “ADVANCE.” In this manner, the sentry moves the person closer as necessary to effect positive identification. Positive identification should be determined by visually inspecting the person’s government-issued identification card. When the person is in a position where the identity can be positively identified, the sentry will stop the individual’s advance by commanding “HALT!” The sentry will then ask the person to place their identification card on the deck and take enough steps backwards to provide the sentry an appropriate distance to safely engage if threatened.

The sentry will recover and verify the identification while keeping their eyes on the person. Once positive identification has been achieved, the sentry will command the person to advance using rank and name or billet as appropriate.

If for whatever reason the sentry is not satisfied that positive identification can be achieved, he or she must detain the person and call the Corporal of the Guard for instructions.

The sentry must not under any circumstances allow more than one individual at a time to advance for recognition. When a party of multiple persons approach the post or two or more individuals approach the post from different directions the sentry will halt all, then command “ADVANCE one to be recognized” advancing one person at a time. When positive identification has been achieved, the senior person or party will be advanced first.

PERFORMANCE STEP 5: Execute a post and relief.

In accordance with the fifth general order, a sentry may not leave their assigned post unless properly relieved. Proper post and relief procedures ensure that verbal special orders, instructions and all information pertinent to the post are correctly and completely transferred from the relieved sentry to the posting sentry. Marine sentries will be posted and relieved in the following formal manner:

The Marine in charge of the relief, normally the oncoming Corporal of the Guard, will form the relief and march it to the first post. After halting the relief formation, the Corporal of the Guard will order the posting sentry according to the post number. Next, the oncoming sentry will approach the off going sentry and halt approximately three paces away and if so armed, bring the rifle to the position of port arms. The off going sentry will then execute port arms. The Corporal of the Guard then assumes a position to one side of the sentries, faces between them and commands “TRANSMIT YOUR ORDERS.” The off going sentry will then transmit any changes in orders, information or instructions received during the watch or if nothing has changed, will state “Post and orders remain the same.”

The Corporal of the Guard will then ask the ongoing sentry “Do you understand your orders?” If the sentry understands the orders he or she will answer, “Yes.” If not, the Corporal of the Guard will clarify as appropriate. The Corporal of the Guard then commands “POST” at which time, the ongoing sentry will assume the post. The relieved sentry will then join the Corporal of the Guard and take up a position with the relief. The Corporal of the Guard then marches the detail to the next post and repeats the above procedure until the changeover is complete.

***NOTE*** Tactical considerations (i.e. combat) may dictate that it is both impractical and dangerous to execute post and relief in the aforementioned manner. In these situations, the commander may at his or her discretion issue special orders that modify the procedures as local conditions dictate. All concerned must take special care that all appropriate verbal special orders, instructions and information are properly transferred by the off going sentry and understood by the oncoming sentry.

Stand a sentry post

Evaluation Checklist

MARINE BEING EVALUATED:

EVALUATOR:

DATE:

SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS: NA

EVALUATOR NOTE: Marines must perform all the steps below without omitting key elements in order to pass this event. The evaluator will guide the Marine through the checklist by asking questions.

Performance Step

Instructor Notes

Pass or Remediate

1. State the eleven General Orders.

Marine should state three of the General Orders:

1. “To take charge of this post and all government

property in view.”

2. “To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always

on the alert and observing everything that takes

place within sight or hearing.

3. “To report all violations of orders I am instructed to

enforce.”

4. “To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the

guardhouse than my own.

5. “To quit my post only when properly relieved.”

6. “To receive, obey, and pass on to the sentry who

relieves me, all orders from the commanding officer,

officer of the day, and officers and noncommissioned

of the guard only.”

7. “To talk to no one except in the line of duty.”

8. “To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.”

9. “To call the corporal of the guard in any case not

covered by instructions.”

10. “To salute all officers, and all colors and standards

not cased.”

11. “To be especially watchful at night and during the

time for challenging to challenge all persons on or

near my post and allow no one to pass without

proper authority.”

2. Describe the organization of the Interior Guard.

Marine should state three of seven billets of the interior guard:

1. Commanding Officer (CO)

2. Field Officer of the Day

3. Officer of the Day

4. Commander of the Guard

5. Sergeant of the Guard

6. Corporal of the Guard

7. Sentries

3. Report the post.

Marine should report their post:

“Sir or Ma’am (give rank and name) report post number (give appropriate post number or designation) all secure (or report anything that is out of the ordinary).”

4. Demonstrate how to challenge personnel.

Marine should demonstrate the following:

1. Take protective measures/cover & call “HALT, who

goes there?”

2. Command “ADVANCE”

3. Command “HALT” when the person is close enough

for effective identification

4. Ask person to place their ID card on the deck and

step backwards

5. Recover the ID card and verify their identification

6. Either command person to advance or detain and call the Corporal of the Guard